Poultry litter management device and method

Abstract

A litter management device, such as a device configured to disintegrate and/or de-cake caked litter from poultry is described. In some embodiments, the litter management device includes a litter de-caking mechanism contained within a housing, which is supported by a movable frame. The litter de-caking mechanism includes one or more hammers flexibly attached, such as via chains, to a rotation bar, enabling the hammers to rotate in a circular motion around the rotation bar and within the housing. The rotation of the hammers causes the hammers to strike, often at high speeds, caked litter within a target area, which disintegrates the caked litter, allowing for the removal of the caked litter from an area generally used by poultry, among other benefits.

I claim: 
     
       1. A litter maintenance device, comprising:
 a frame; 
 a housing attached to at least a portion of the frame at a rear end of the frame, the housing having a hood section; 
 a front wheel attached to a front end of the frame; 
 two back wheels attached to the housing; 
 an independent motor attached to at least a portion of the frame or a portion of the housing; 
 a rotation mechanism attached to the motor; and 
 a litter de-caking mechanism at least partially located within the hood section of the housing, wherein the litter de-caking mechanism includes:
 a rotation bar connected to the rotation mechanism attached to the motor; 
 a rotation bar tube that receives the rotation bar;
 one or more hammer arms attached to the rotation bar tube, wherein each of the hammer arms includes a hammer and at least one chain having a first end that connects to the rotation bar tube, the chain having a second end attached to the hammer; 
 each hammer, when looked at in a cross section, being angled laterally outward. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The litter maintenance device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a vertical adjustment mechanism configured to raise or lower the litter de-caking mechanism with respect to a target area of caked litter. 
 
     
     
       3. The litter maintenance device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handle attached to the front end of the frame and configured to facilitate movement of the device. 
 
     
     
       4. The litter maintenance device of  claim 1 , wherein the litter de-caking mechanism includes three hammer arms attached to the rotation bar tube at approximately equal distances from one another. 
     
     
       5. The litter maintenance device of  claim 1 , wherein each hammer is formed of two angle irons, a first of the two angle irons having a back attached to the chain. 
     
     
       6. The litter de-caking mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the litter de-caking mechanism includes two or more hammer arms of different lengths. 
     
     
       7. The litter de-caking mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the litter de-caking mechanism includes two or more hammer arms configured to rotate within different planes of rotation with respect to one another. 
     
     
       8. The litter de-caking mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more hammer arms are removably attached to the rotation bar such that the one or more hammer arms rotate around a longitudinal axis of the rotation bar. 
     
     
       9. A litter maintenance machine, comprising:
 a housing that is at least partially open in a downward direction; 
 a frame configured to move the housing over a target area of caked litter; 
 a litter de-caking mechanism contained within the housing that includes a rotation bar and one or more hammers flexibly connected to the rotation bar; 
 the hammers having laterally-extending portions for use in engaging a litter cake. 
 
     
     
       10. The litter maintenance machine of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a motor attached to the housing and the frame and configured to rotate the rotation bar during operation of the machine. 
 
     
     
       11. The litter maintenance machine of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a handle trigger attached to the frame; and 
 a motor attached to the housing and the frame and connected to the trigger via a cord, wherein the motor includes a pulley and lever system configured to rotate the rotation bar during operation of the machine in response to movement of the trigger.